Election Day Updates (How long was your line?)

Posted Tuesday, November 4, 2008, at 7:46 AM

One of the 19 polling places in Saline County is the Marshall Housing Authority building on South Redman Avenue. Local election officials, like state and national counterparts, expect a large turnout for the Nov. 4 election. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

[What's the turnout like where you vote?]

Someone called a few minutes ago wondering if we had a source of candidates' positions on issues. I wish I'd put something like that together earlier, but in case anyone is doing some last-minute research before voting:

I voted just before 7 a.m. at the Marshall Housing Authority, arriving just as Saline County Clerk Ken Bryant was leaving. As we passed each other he said I'd just missed a flurry of voters. "There was a line!" one poll worker said.

There's never a line.

I believe it, though. Several people were still voting as I signed in for a ballot, a few sitting at tables, suggesting that for a while first thing this morning there weren't enough voting cubicles to go around.

Kathy Fairchild reports that her polling place, Covenant Presbyterian Church, was also busy -- with four times the usual number of early morning voters.

Kathy also heard from her daughter, who lives in Platteville, Wisc., a town that is a slightly smaller town than Marshall.

Their polling places open at 7 and she got there just after that, to find 150 people in line waiting to vote! She said it went smoothly, but still took 30 minutes to get to the front of the line!

It's not surprising. Election officials around the country have been predicting record numbers of voters for this election -- which will make history no matter which ticket wins.

Of course it will. Every election becomes a chapter in the history books of future generations. But this election will install in the White House either the first African American or the first woman vice president or the oldest president. "Firsts" and "mosts" always get a little more attention. There wasn't near this much excitement in 2004, when we had an incumbent president versus yet another white guy.

Up here in Platteville, the polls are insane! My dad just called me (at 9:30) to say that he had just voted - and it was still a 30 minute wait!

We also have absentee/early voting up until the day before the election (for any reason) and he tried to vote yesterday instead of today. When he got to the City Clerk's office, there was a line of about 50 people waiting to vote early, too!

We are a college town, and I saw a lot of college kids registering this morning - I think that's great!

Personally, I think they ought to combine voting with a blood drive. As long as you're going to wait an hour, you might as well lay down while voting, donate a pint, and get cookies & juice to boot!

-- Posted by koeller77 on Tue, Nov 4, 2008, at 9:31 AM

I voted this morning, and didn't have to wait long. I personally do not choose to make use of the cubicles, though there were two standing open.

The blood drive is a great idea, but I love being able to drop in for the flu shot.

-- Posted by joboda on Tue, Nov 4, 2008, at 11:26 AM

I went on my lunch break to the Marshall Housing Authority. Even though the parking lot was cluttered and there were people everywhere, inside was very smooth. I didn't have to wait at all. Pleasant!

I, too, like the blood drive idea!

-- Posted by Green Eyes on Tue, Nov 4, 2008, at 1:56 PM

Hi All

Didn't have to wait in line this morning, but it was more crowded than I had ever seen at Gill Memorial. And more folks had voted before 7 a.m. than usual as well - by about double.

Good to see some young adult-type high school students helping out at the polls as well.

Good for them and the election judges, I imagine.

Peace

-- Posted by circuitrider on Tue, Nov 4, 2008, at 2:29 PM

I am honestly thrilled to see so many people getting out and voting today. Even if they don't vote the way I hope they do, it's wonderful to see people exercising the their right to be heard.

-- Posted by Kathy Fairchild on Tue, Nov 4, 2008, at 4:02 PM

I voted at approximately 8:15 a.m. this morning in the big city of Malta Bend. Suprisingly there were about five or six people there while I voted. I sat at a table instead of using one of the voting booths. Any other election day there might be one or two other people in City Hall when I vote, so this many was a bit unusual. My spouse voted later in the afternoon - approximately 4:45 p.m. and there were just a couple of other people there at that time. We both have our "I voted stickers" even though I think on the Presidental election we just cancelled out each others votes. Let's just say on the political front we live in a house divided.

-- Posted by Typesetter on Tue, Nov 4, 2008, at 8:17 PM

My husband and I voted before we went to the beanfield this morning. It was great to see all the people voting and to see the MHS students helping.

Even at the elevator today, most people had on their "I voted" stickers. That is great to see, no matter who wins.

-- Posted by Marcia Gorrell on Tue, Nov 4, 2008, at 8:35 PM

We went to vote at a little after 1 o'clock and there was NO line at Covenant Presbyterian. It was fantastic. We were in and out in less than 10 minutes.

-- Posted by imaloony on Wed, Nov 5, 2008, at 9:36 AM

Eric, I voted after I got off work, about 6:00 PM . I was voter 1176 at the polling place; Gill Memorial Baptist Church.

Eric Crump is a former editor of The Marshall Democrat-News. He lives elsewhere now but still loves Marshall and Saline County. He's trying to catch up on all the stories he should have written while he was on staff.